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100 Powerful Learning Specialist and Educational Therapy Materials

This week I wanted to tell you about my online store, Good Sensory Learning. I’m Dr. Erica Warren, and I established this site so I could share all the materials that I have created over the last 20+ years as a learning specialist and educational therapist. When I first began my private practice, Learning to Learn, I had great difficulty finding fun and multisensory materials for my students that were effective and engaging. So back in 2005, I made it my mission to design and distribute high-end, remedial products as well as memorable, motivating lessons that bring delight to learning. If you would like to try a free sampling of my activities , CLICK HERE . How Are the Products Organized at Good Sensory Learning? You can download my Free Printable Catalog or you can browse the site using the grey “search all products” bar in the top right of any page with keywords such as dyslexia, working memory, and executive functioning. What’s more, drop down menus in the red banner allow you t...
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11 Strategies to Make Homework Fun and Manageable

Doing homework after a long day of school can be a real backbreaker for many young learners! Downtime is both limited and cherished, so making assignments enticing is key. So, what can we do to make the process less burdensome and possibly pleasing? Homework Don'ts: Never pair homework with a punishment. When this is done, students associate homework with unpleasantries, and it can have a negative impact on future assignments. Don't call home assignments, "homework." Who wants to take their work home? Besides, when it is called work, it becomes work. Personally, I like to call it, "home fun!" Homework Dos: Create enticing names for home assignments. For example, I never teach script or cursive. I teach roller-coaster letters!  Generate excitement about upcoming assignments by sharing your own excitement and enthusiasm for the content.  Bring creative options such as drawing, sculpting, and music into assignments. Introduce the fun fac...
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Struggling Students - Energize the Body and Fuel the Brain

One of the most important things we can teach our children is that the food that we eat plays a vital role in our health and cognition. Unfortunately, we live in a consumer society and children are constantly targeted by large companies that entice them into consuming junk foods and drinks that are void of nutrients and are packed with harmful and addictive fillers. In fact, I continually see students that have poor diets consisting of processed foods, starchy entrees and sugary snacks. Sadly, if you even suggest changing diets to healthy options, many adamantly oppose, as they are hooked to this lifestyle. You can see that they are undernourished, because their skin coloration is often pallid and pasty, they have trouble focusing their attention, many are irritable, and most are struggling at school. That’s right, when kids do not consume healthy fats, vegetables, and other whole foods, it can lead to a whole slew of physical and mental challenges. What Can Be Done to Get the ...
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PhotoMath and ModMath - Best FREE Apps for Struggling Math Students

Serving the needs of struggling math students can be challenging, and giving them the assistive technology tools for independent learning is vital. This week, I’m excited about sharing my two favorite, free math apps that can really change the playing field for students with ADHD, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, as well as those with graphomotor, visual processing, and spatial difficulties. Photomath: This FREE Android App and IOS App will knock your socks off! Open up Photomath in your smartphone or tablet, take a picture of a math problem, and Photomath will quickly provide the answer. Press the red arrow, and Photomath will display each step required to solve the problem.  Photomath Offers: Camera calculator that scans printed math problems and provides an answer. Camera calculator that also scans neat, handwritten problems. Step-by-step instructions on how to solve math problems. Manual, smart calculator with accessible math symbols. Graphs (NEW) Phot...
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Finding the Best, Online Tutor or Specialist for Your Child

As many of you know, the process of finding the best after school, academic and remedial support for your child is plagued with many challenges. Even if you have a great evaluation that discloses your child’s learning strengths and weaknesses, it is difficult to find a local professional that has the expertise that your child needs. The Lack of Skilled, Accessible Learning Specialists is a Great Frustration for Many Parents: This is a huge challenge for many families in rural areas. What’s more, the costs for one-to-one services can be difficult to manage and many professionals are booked solid. Finally, many parents don’t have the time in their schedule to be driving their children round town from appointment to appointment. But Things are Changing: Every day, more and more trained tutors, learning specialists, and educational therapists have adopted online tools that allows them to provide high quality, multisensory academic and remedial support to our kids through the ...
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Back to School Checklist for Parents

Getting prepared for the upcoming school year can be a complicated task that involves gathering school supplies, connecting with new teachers and administrators, establishing individual needs, creating house rules and routines, coordinating nutritious meals and snacks, and arranging any needed accommodations. To help with the process, I have created the following checklist: Stock Up on School Supplies Check the school website or call to inquire about of list of required supplies. Find out whether students will store supplies at school or bring them home each day. See if the school will allow you to get an extra copy of all textbooks for use at home. If not, you can usually find used copies on the internet. Plan to be Involved  Mark school events on the family calendar.  Attend back-to-school meetings.  Schedule and attend parent-teacher conferences. Find out the best way to communicate with each teacher – phone, email or note. Find out from each tea...
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Problems Using Academic Assignments or Homework as a Punishment

In the heat of the moment, it is not uncommon for both teachers and parents to assign academic work as a consequence to inappropriate behaviors. In addition, pleasurable breaks such as recess are often withheld when students are being unruly or they don't complete classwork. A punishment might involve a writing assignment, extra math problems or additional homework. Why is This a Problem? The issue with this method is that children associate negative consequences and punishments with academics.  So, for example, if Patty was told to write an essay because she exhibited inappropriate behaviors, the next time she has to write for a school assignment, she will likely associate the negativity she was feeling to writing in general.  In another instance, if Nick had to stay in from recess because he didn't get his assignment done, he will learn to dread future assignments. What are Some Better Ways to Handle Unruly Behaviors? Ignore bad behaviors and reward positive beh...
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